Tufty: The Little Lost Duck Who Found Love

PreS-Gr 2—Tufty is a duckling who lives with his family in a lake by a beautiful palace. The Royal Duck and Duckess feed the ducks every day. As summer turns into fall, Father Duck announces that it is time to fly south. The family sets off, but Tufty does not fly as quickly as his siblings. He begins to lag behind and grow tired, and when a storm comes, Tufty is lost and has to stop to rest. He finds shelter in a tunnel and meets a man who shares his food with him. Then the man takes Tufty to his home in the hollow trunk of a tree by a lake, where he remains for the winter. Tufty's family returns in the spring, and he rejoins them, but he does not forget his friend who lives in the tree hollow and gave him a home. Sometimes an accidental change of plans can be serendipitous. Making the best of a difficult situation leads Tufty to find a new friend and even a new home. This simple lesson in problem solving and being open to different solutions is a valuable one for young children. The soft pencil and watercolor illustrations are soothing and cheerful, well suited for young readers vicariously experiencing getting lost and separated from their families.